Bill Might End Cable-Content Feud
Legislation slated to come before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday will reflect the end to a copyright feud between cable television and content providers, Democratic aides told CongressDaily earlier this week. Under the deal, cable companies would give the Copyright Office $85 million over five years to cover "phantom signals" -- transmissions that are not viewable by consumers but nevertheless necessitate payment under a 2008 decision by the Copyright Office. Hollywood studios would get a portion of the money. The arrangement also includes money for past obligations, sources said of the deal reached by the National Cable and Telecommunications Association and the Motion Picture Association of America.
Both groups were hesitant to comment ahead of Judiciary Chairman John Conyers' introduction of the broader bill, which would reauthorize sections of the Satellite Home Viewer Act that expire Dec. 31. MPAA Chairman Dan Glickman issued a statement lauding Conyers and his staff for bringing the parties together to reach a consensus. "This is a good agreement for consumers who enjoy entertainment programming, the people who create that programming and the cable systems that retransmit it," he said. NCTA had argued that its members should not have to pay for content that subscribers cannot access but is transmitted as a result of cable company consolidation.
Read the full story in CongressDaily here. Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy and ranking member Jeff Sessions introduced their version of the reauthorization bill on Tuesday. Read more here. (subscription required)
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